Who Is God? Understanding the Nature of the One True God
The question “Who is God?” is one that has baffled and intrigued humanity since the dawn of time. When we talk about “who” someone is, we are mostly talking about their character. The way in which they act, speak, and think make up their nature and who they are. We are going to discover who God is and why it matters.
God is Supreme
Despite many religions focusing on the worship of many gods, Christianity knows there is one God who reigns supreme in heaven. This is not to say there are no other spiritual beings, but there are not many gods fighting for power in the heavens. God alone created the earth (Genesis 1:1), established it, and rules over it (Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 47:8). Colossians 1:16 declares that every ruler and power in this world was created by him and for his purposes.
God is Three in One
Although the word Trinity never appears in the Bible, the concept is clearly present. The idea of the Trinity is that God is one being that can be in three functions. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the three forms of God (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Father – The Source and Sovereign
“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things.” – 1 Corinthians 8:6
The Son (Jesus Christ) – The Word Made Flesh
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” – John 1:1
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” – John 1:14
The Holy Spirit – God’s Presence Within Us
“The Spirit of truth… will guide you into all truth.” – John 16:13
Yahweh
As most mythical gods had names, the God of the Bible revealed his true name to his people. His name is Yahweh and it means “I am who I am”. The God of the Bible revealed to Moses and to Israel that He is in control and has absolute authority. God is the One being that sustains creation and is never battled for this position by other “gods”.
Yahweh’s Description
While we can get a decent idea of God’s character through many stories in the Old Testament, none is quite as direct as God’s own description of himself. In Exodus 34:6-7, God describes his character:
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
God describes himself as gracious, patient, loyal, loving, and forgiving. The punishment part seems to trip us up at times but when we maintain the idea of God judging wickedness and maintaining justice, this aligns with God’s character. The idea here is not that God judges children for their parents’ sin, but that the consequences of their parents’ sin will manifest in their children, namely, the children will also share and participate in the rebellion as did their parents. Yahweh is a God of justice, love, and compassion and it shows most prominently in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.
God is Love
Most importantly, as the apostle John describes, God is love (1 John 4:8). It was through love that he sent Jesus to die in our place (John 3:16). God’s being comes through love and transforms those He encounters through love. He is not a God who is bent on vengeance and power but rather His loving nature allowed for humanity to rule with Him and to reign for eternity with Him of those who love Him in return.
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